Fire-extinguishing system.



C. H, MEHSS '5L F. A. EPPS.

MRE ExmGuisHiNG SYSTEM.-

APPLICATION FILED JULY X7. 19H.

9%@ gf, atente Apr. 2, 1918.

f rr einen.

"W Ytll, E. Til, ASSIGNORS TO MAGANDREWS Leid-'W JERSEY, .1 CGRPORATION OJE NEW JERSEY.

& FORBES COMPANY, OF CAIMDEIN,Y

FIRE-EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, i918.

Application filed July 17, 1917. Serial No. 181,026.

'o cti amo/mJ may concern Be it known that' CHARLES H. Mines and Farini* A. Flers, both citizens of the United States, residing at Phiiadelphia and New York, in t ie counties of Philadelphia and .New Yori; and States of Pennsylvania and New York, have invented new and useful improvements in FireEXtinguishing Systems, of which the following is a specification. f

invention rela tes to improvements in i` itinguishing systems, pertaining more perticuiarly to systcnisof the sprinkler-head t', Je, especially where employed in conne@ 'tion i i systems operating on the foamentinguishing principle.

lEhe if(iain-extinguish@g process of extin guishing lires is particularly adapted for use in connection with tanks, etc., containing iniiammable iiuids as Well as in other relations, and various Ways oi' utilizing the system have been contemplated and employed. These systems generally employ two solul tions which, when brought together, commix and form a compound which produces fumes non-supporting to combustion..

As shown, for instance, in the patents to ldlallier, -Nos. 1,186,249 and 1,186,251, it is a general practice to carry the solutions through inde-pendent conduits to a location adiacent to thc point where the compound is to be produced and used. This practice employed for the reason that the compound is of a comparatively rap-id development when the solutions are brought together, remaining inthis state' for a period 'and then gradually deteriorating with re-A spect to the foam action, 1t being understood,

of course, that maximumeihciency is presentivhere the several solutions are thoroughly commixed, the rapidity of development de pending somewhat on the manner in which the solution streams are caused to commix. For instance, in the form shown in said patents, the solution streams are introduced into acommixing head Where development taires place andthe foam compound produced is permitted to pass to the point of use through a comparatively short passagerWay which practically oii'ers no restriction to their-ee of the foam compound.

The structures disclosed in these patents therefore provide for the development of the compound outside of the tank which is being protected, the foam produced Welling up and passing over a ledge onto the' surface which is to be acted upon and, so far as We y are aware, this is the general practice with respect to the delivery of extinguishing com pound onto such surface, the structures, in some cases, however, having the commixingl chambers in a separate compartment Within' the tank. Y

In the present invention, the general prurpose is to develop the compound practically at the point of use. For instance, if employed in connection With tanks, the development occurs Within the tank portion where the inflammable luidlis located, the streams being delivered in opposition to each other so that the integrity of each stream is broken down by its contact with the opposing stream, thus causing an inti` mate commixture of the component streams at a point or points over the surface of the fluid, thus rapidly developin the compound at a point Where itis imme iately edective.

Since this practically requires that the streams be properly directed to their common meeting point, and that the nozzle or sprinkler-head structure be located Within the tank and subject to the temperatures developed by the fire conditions therein, it is desirable that the. structure employed for delivering the solution vbe of such form as. to insure vthe proper delivery of the streams under all conditions.

This result is obtained by the use of a nozzle or' sprinkler-head structure which is practically unitary in form and so arranged that the eii'ects of the heat will not aiectthe direction of flow of the streams into commixing positions. At the same time, the structure carries' an automatic releasing means which can be easily and simply installed at any time.

To these and other ends, the nature of which Vwill be readily understood as the invention is hereinafter disclosed, the invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and illustrated in thc accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

1n the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference charactersindicate similar parts in each of the views:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sprinkler-head being shown as mounted in a tank.

Fini. 2 is an end elevation of the sprinklerhead.

For the purpose of illustrating the present invention, we have shown the nozzle or sprinkler-head structure as employed in connection with a tank for inflammable fluids, a tank wall being indicated at A.

The sprinkler-head.embodies a casing 1() having two conduits 11, the walls of which are connected by a suit-able web structure 12, the inner wall portions of the conduits eX- tendiiig approximately parallel to each other, each conduit preferably decreasing in cross-sectional area as it advances from its rear end, indicated at 13, thus producing a vpassageway of gradually decreasing cross sectional area toward the point of exit. The sprinkler-head is connected up to independent supply lines 14E by suitable unions or couplings 15, each supply line leading from a suitable solution receptacle, not shown.

The advance ends of the conduits are each formed with a normally closed discharge opening. This opening is formed by tapping the inner wall ofthe conduit adjacent its advance end to provide an opening 1G having a seat 17 and a threaded enlargement of the opening indicated at 18, thus providing opening 16 with portions on two diameters. The seat is adapted to receive an annular resilient metal member 19 having a central opening 19, member 15) being cured in position by a threaded aniiulus Q0, this arrangement restricting the actual discharge opening from the conduit to the area of opening 19a, although the area of opening 16 is considerably greater.

As shown in Fig. 1 opening 1G of one con duit is in axial alinement with the similar opening of the other conduit, so that when solution discharge from the conduits is perl mitted through the alined openings 19, the

streams are discharged in opposite directions and provide stream ln'eak-down within the space between the opposing openings 1G, the i'esult being that the solutions will be rapidly placed in condition for commixture which will take place to a high degree, thus rapidly developing the foam compound.

rI hese openings 19d are normally closed by a suitable closure of the automatic type, the form shown'in the drawing indicating glass members 21, each having a face adapted to close the opening, each member 21 being carried by 'a holder Q2. Holders are joined by an element 23 which holds members 21 to their seats on members 18, said element, however, being arranged to break this holding effect in. the presence of fire conditions. The holding structure shown is of a well-known type useful for this purpose.

lVith the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, the several solution streams are kept from passing out of their respective conduits 11. When, however, the release device is affected by fire conditions and thus eliminates the holding action on members 21, said members 21 will pass out of closing position, either by the action of the releasing device itself or by pressure from within the conduits, or both, thereby simultaneously opening each conduit for the discharge of its solution.

To permit a ready positioning of members 19, we preferably form threaded openings 2a in the outer walls of the conduits, openings 24 being axially alined with openings 1G. Openings 2A are closed by suitable caps or plugs 25.' As will be seen, opening 24 is of greater diameter than opening 18, the latter in turn being of greater diameter than opening 16, all of these openings, however, being axially alined. Obviously, this arrangement permits of the formation of openings, etc., by simple machining operations.

By removing plug 25, access is readily had to annulus 20 to remove the latter and thus permit removal of member 19, a reversal of these operations, with member 19 on its seat, restoring the structure to normal conditions. While this arrangement affords a simple method of positioning members' 19, either initially or at a time of renewal, without requiring detachment of the sprinkler-head from the connections, it also permits, when desired, the ready installation of a prepared releasing device, viz: a device which is in complete form before being installed in the sprinkler-head. T his action may bc provided by removing the plug 25, annnlus 2() and member 19 of one of the conduits, then positioning the releasing device in contact with member 19 of the other conduit, after which these removed elements are restored to position and set, the structure then being ready for use.

As will be seen, the body of the structure is unitary and may be readily cast. Obviously, the web structure 12 will preventany possibility of the discharge openings passing out of axial alinement, either through manual manipulations or by the ac tion of heat where the structure is placed in a position where it is necessarily in close proximity to high temperatures.

lt will be clear that the gene 'al arrange ment is such 'as to be simple and efficient in oj'ieration, durable in construction and capale of p'roduction at a relatively low cost.

ln addition, renewals can be provided in a 'meines simple and eliicient manner. And since the :structure provides for rapid development of the extinguishing compound at a point Where it may be made immediately effective, it Will be understood that the general arrangement provides for maximum eiliciency in operationf.- q

4"While vve'have referred to the installation 'of the structure in connection with tanks,

thus illustrating its use under conditions ot extreme hardship, it will be readily understood that the sprinkler-'head structure can be employed in other types of installations, and-We desire to b e understood as not limiting the invention to use in connection With :tank structures.

structure of releasing device shown, since it is obvious that any suitable forni of release device or equivalent ot members 19 may be employed.

we claim. as new, is:

l. In fire-extinguisliing apparatus where in a plurality oi normally-separated component solutions are made active in the produ@ tion of an extinguishing compound by the automatic release of the severa-l solutions :in stream form in opposing directions to produce coniniixing a sprinkler-head carrying the, releasing elenient and connected to the solution supply lines, said head comprising a body portion having independent passageways for the so'- lutions, said passageways extending in substantial parallelism, the sageways carrying opposing` openings axially alined with the 'axes of the openings ex tending transverse to the direction of length of the pasageways, said openings permitting discharges of' the solutions individually in stream form and in opposing directions, and an automatic control element extending between and normally closing said openings, said element being rendered active to release the solutions in the presence of tire conditions. ,l

Q. A sprinkler-head for,tireiextinguishing systems of the character described, comprisu ing a body portion forni-ed with a pair of substantially parallel conduits spaced-apart and integrally connected, eachfof said conu duits having, its advance end formed with an opening having its axis transverse to the of the component solutions,v

walls of said paw Wit-li openings havin@ the conduit, the inner openings of direction of length of the conduit, 'the ope-nings of the several' conduits facing; leach other in axial. aline t, removable resilnf-ntV members intersecting said openings, said members having; openings, and a closure de vice for closing the member openings, said device being adapted to he rendered inactive as a closure in the presence o i'ire conditions.

3. A sprinkler-head 'for fire extinguishing systenisof the character described, compris4 ingr a body portion :termed Witha pair of substantially parallel vconduits spacedapa1't and integrally connected, each of said conduits having opposite' Walls of vits advance end formed with openings having a common axis extending transverse to the direction oi length of the conduits, the inner openings of tlie several conduits facing each other in axial alineinent, a removable resilient n1eni bei' seated in and intersecting each innen opening, said members provided With tine discharge openings for the conduits, reinen able plugs for the outer openings, and ciov sure means extending between said discharge openings, said means being rendered inactive as a closure in the presence oi tire conditions l. .in a sprinkler-head structure for tire entinguisliing sysleros, a body portion coinprising a casting having a pair oi' substantially parallel conduits spaeed-apart and connected by a web structure, each conduit having opposite Vwalls at its advance end Having thus described our invention what formed with openins havin g a common airis extending transverse to the direction of length ot the conduit, ti e the several conduits .facing each other in. axial alineinent and each. having' its Wall formed on tivo diameters to provide a seat for a removable element adapted to provide the discharge opening olf tl seatfacing the outer wall ci? the conduit and extending on a plane intersecting the-opening, a removable annulns mounted in the portion of greater dia ter et suoli ope-nina' for securing the elem tion, and plug; for closing the 't nog in the enter Wall of, each conduit,

ln a sprinkler-head structure for lire extinguishing systems, a body portion coinprising casting havin a pair substantially parallel conduits spaced-apart and oonnected by a web strnctn e, each conduit llaving opposite walls its advance end formed D a common axis entend ing transverse tothe diriaztioifi ot' length of,

the sev eacli other in :n

i cieral conduits facing alinenent and each liavinr ncl. i'orine on. tvvo diainete, l' "c a, t

removable element adapted to provide the discharge opening of the conduit, each seat facing the outer Wall et the condait and er;M tending on a plane inter-rafting the open ing, a removable annales mounted in the portion of greater inner openings oit ne conduit, eac-li I:

diameter c such openM ,ses

aus

ing for securing the element n position, and n, plug for closn )trhe opening in the outer wall of each conc uit, the space between'the inner openings being unobstructed and adapted to recve the closure means for the several. discharge openings.

n testimonywhereof we have hereunto set our hands in prsence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES H. MEGS.

FRANK A. EPPS. Witnesses D. W. PATTERSON, 1F. D OGDHN 

